A little History on the two local soldiers that our post is named after:

Arling C. Van Bibber was a private in the U.S. Army with the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.

He entered the service from Montana.

He died October 8, 1918 and is buried in: Plot A Row 05 Grave 26, Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, Romagne, France

Peter M. Hansen, son of Mrs. Andrew Sanholt of Savanna, born in Savanna November 11, 1895, volunteered for service March 29, 1918 at Camp Grant, Illinois. He served in the 356th Infantry 89th Division, taking part in the offensive at St. Mihiel and in the Argonne. He was killed in action near Hoopice, France, November 11, 1918.

Months of uncertainty about his death were finally ended when the news came in the form of a letter from another Carroll County soldier who actually saw Peter fall in battle.

Charles Schuman of Chadwick wrote a letter from Cordel, Germany, March 8, 1919:

Dear Friend:

I just received your letter the other day asking if I knew anything about your brother. He was killed in action on the morning of 11th of November. He fell just 10 feet in front of me. You wanted to know if I had any of his personal belongings. All I was able to get from him was his wristwatch. I don’t know what became of the other things he had with him.

He told me just four days before he was killed that if anything happened to him and I got through alright that he wanted me to get his watch and take it back to his mother.

So when I get back I will bring the watch to you and tell you all about him. He sure was a fine soldier and was liked by all the boys in the company that knew him. I was not surprised to get a letter from you for I was looking for one from you regarding Peter.

This item appeared in the Times-Journal on April 25, 1920: Mrs. Andrew Sanholt on Friday received a testament and letters from France, part of the effects of her son, Peter Hansen, who was killed in the World War on Armistice Day, November 11, 1918. These will be prized by the family, especially the testament which "Pete" carried with him on the battlefield.

Peter M. Hansen’s body was returned from France in March of 1921.

On March 23, 1921 Peter’s body was returned to Savanna and a military funeral was in charge of Major J. B. Schreiter, MRC.

Peter’s body was conveyed to the cemetery on a military caisson drawn by four horses and with six pallbearers. Nearly four hundred soldiers sailors and marines marched in four-abreast to the cemetery.

On February 16, 1978 Mayor Donald H. Nehrkorn of Savanna forwarded a check for $200 so the names of Pvt. Peter M. Hansen and Pvt. Arling Van Bibber could be memorialized on the Wall of Honor at the Pershing Park Memorial Association in Laclede, Missouri.